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The L Word Recap 604: Mystery Science Snoozefest 3000

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February 9th, 2009 | 7:06 pm

era” (Ha ha!) and the still more horrible Cherie Jaffe days are given the boot, but when Jenny tries to include a few of Carmen’s old t-shirts in the “to go” pile, Shane balks. Jenny pushes, but Shane won’t budge. Shane: “I’m not throwing her away.” (Aww. Sharmen 4ever.) Jenny acquiesces gracefully for once. (For now!)

Bette and Tina have arrived with Angie in Nevada and they’re still arguing about Kelly Wentworth.

Shane and Alice are meeting for lunch, but Alice is on the phone, grinning from ear to ear, planning dinner with Jamie. They’re going to cook at Alice and Tasha’s place for group date night because “we’re all broke.” (Aww. Long live the lesbian commune.) As soon as she hangs up, Alice gushes to Shane about how “weirdly perfect” Jamie is. Shane: “Perfect for you or for Helena?” Jenny crashes lunch, much to Alice’s dismay, and commences hen-pecking Shane.

Bette and Tina meet their prospective babymama, Marci, who already has two kids and lives with her mom and stepdad because she can’t support them. But she confesses that’s not the only reason for the adoption; her parents “would freak” if they knew this baby’s father was black. Nice. On cue, the mom and the stepdad return. They question Angie’s race and biological parentage. Awkward! Even after a brief explanation of how Bette and Tina picked a donor, the parents have yet to catch on to the gay. Marci explains that they’re a couple and her mom wigs out. The stepdad asks Bette and Tina to leave.

Alice and Jamie chat while they cook. Jamie suggests that the recently unemployed Alice come and work with the kids at the Center or help with fund-raising or something. There’s definitely chemistry between these two; Alice is hanging on Jamie’s every word. But I wouldn’t put it past Ilene and crew to have Tasha and Jamie run off together, leaving Alice doubly broken-hearted and primed for Schecterocide.

At Hit Club, it’s “boys’ night.” At a lesbian club? Welcome to Backwards World! Kit and Sunset discuss Kit’s relationship history. Again. Sunset flirts with her and refers to Helena as “her lady.” Again. Enough already. We get it! Sunset wants Kit to take a ride on the Boulevard. A little forward momentum with this storyline would be great!

From the get go, it’s clear that Jamie and Helena are utterly wrong for each other.

Just a thought, but if you're going to be blasting Max for his lack of parental sensibility, you might as well blast Bette and Tina, too. It's not like they spend loads of quality times with their daughter. They're fictional characters. "Max" isn't actually pregnant. In reality Shane would have never been able to hold onto Shea (Shay?) and Bette and Tina could have been turned into social services ages ago. This is television. People (read: characters) don't typically behave responsibly.

Talk to the child! Now that is something we can agree upon. The only interest Bette has shown in communicating with her was a brief period of practicing sign on the baby so she could impress the Babe she was dating. Have you noticed that they don't even really look at her? They carry her around and look around her, or over her, but rarely make eye contact. If it weren't for the manny (former) and Aunt Kit, the poor tike wouldn't know that people communicate at all.

We'll go through this one more time, I don't care if you take issue with how I express my views. There my views and my expression.

I am not going to kiss your butt. I am not going to do it your way and I am not going to buy into phony political correctness. This just isn't hard. I am not belittling a person. This is a fictional character in a tv soap opera. This is not a real person and no I don't respect this character. How could I?? How can you?? She's poising an unborn child and is crying about not being called "he"!!!

I have no idea what you have read into what I have expressed except I refuse to acquiesce. I have a right to my feelings. I have a right to express them and I have no obligation to do it by your rules. Because no matter how I did it you would find fault; because I just plain don't agree with you.

I have re-read my posts and I'm just stating how I feel about this character. Which is pretty mild compared to the post I've seen on these boards and others about other characters and even attacking the actors. Why aren't you upset about that??

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I do point out that the way you talk about this character and this issue can be dehumanizing and it makes it seem like you don’t think he deserves basic considerations that we should give all people.
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I have NOT dehumanized this character. Stating that I believe there is no such thing as a pregnant man is not dehumanizing anyone. It's stating an opinion, that in reality is pretty factual.
There is no documented case EVER in the history of the universe of an actual pregnant man. I'm not talking about a pretend pregnant man which is what Max is. Because if Max had done even the beginning of transitioning she would have no womb to grow a child and there would be no argument. We wouldn't be going round and round.

The real argument is about attitude and syntax. You believe that someone like Max can declare they are trans gender, still have breast, ovaries a womb and be in your mind a pregnant man. I just disagree. That is not belittling anyone???

You and Max can both believe that, I don't care. What you want to believe is not my issue. What I believe is my issue and my right to believe it without all the crap.

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When we get to the point of belittling people for who they are a basic level, or trying to dictate how they must identify, we dehumanize them.
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Here's where you really have it fucked up. I am not trying to dictate how "THEY", must identify themselves. That's up to them not me. I'm saying again, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE pay attention. I'm stating and have been stating how I identify them. How you identify, how they identify or how buda identifies them has nothing to do with me. I can't dictate shit. The only thing i have any control over is how I feel, what I think and how I behave. What you and the rest of the world do is out of my grasp always has been.

We've passed the point where any rational person will continue, we passed it long ago actually. I'm done...

Re blanket amnesty: your comment-Trans gender’s get do anything they want anytime they want with no ramifications, responsibility or guilt.

I have not intended to insulted you; I object to the way you express your opinion on this issue, which I find hateful and disrespectful. I have not cast aspersions on you as an individual, refused to acknowledge you as the being you see yourself to be, or disputed your right to make decisions about your own body or identity. If you feel that I am attacking you on a personal level, I regret that.

Be assured, it is the manner in which you express your views that I take issue with. I do this because I have seen the way that such expression instigates violence toward minority populations of all sorts. When we get to the point of belittling people for who they are a basic level, or trying to dictate how they must identify, we dehumanize them. The fact is that as humans we tend to slaughter non-humans with abandon. I am not saying that you are a violent individual; I have never read anything to indicate that. I do point out that the way you talk about this character and this issue can be dehumanizing and it makes it seem like you don't think he deserves basic considerations that we should give all people.

You got me on that one. I expressed it incorrectly. But; yes people living as lesbians or gay men may have internal conflicts and realize they are not lesbians or gay men and decide to transition. All the trans gender people I know started out in the gay community. BUT; there are many, many trans gender people that lived "normal", lives married w/kids etc, etc that decide to transition. They hid their true feeling from everyone. So when they deside to transition many times it is a shock.

And yes it gets thrust on you from seemly nowhere. Sure they may have dreamed of it for years. Normally I have no problem with this. I do have a problem with being forced to do anything. And I have a major problem calling some who is pregnant a man. Thats me. it doesn't mean the the trans gender person can't or shouldn't think of them selves anyway they want. I'm not trying to change them or their perception of themselves. How I feel isn't about them it's about my right to my feelings.

I have no idea what anyone is at their most basic level - do you. I'm not on the street with signs trying to hurt trans gender people. I don't interfere with their lives, try to deny them their rights, give them a hard time or consider them freaks. But; I'm honest I'm going to have a problem calling you Mary one day and Fred the next.

What you seem to want to trample all over at break neck speed is my right, to look out at this a crazy complex world and interpret what I see and experience in a way that works for ME at my pace.

Not what works for a trans gender person or what works for you.

Just the same as people who think lesbians are freaks, etc, etc. I don't agree but AS LONG AS THEY ARE NOT INTERFERING with my life who am I to dictate how they should feel. Maybe in time......

Do you also think that people "just wake up one day and decide that they're lesbian, gay, or bi? What about when a lady comes out as a lesbian and her friends and family keep trying to shove men at her? Do you think that they are just respectfully expressing their opinions that she is not the person she says she is? I can't find a way to look at this that doesn't add up to you positing that you know better than a given individual who he or she is at the most basic level.

There is your right to your opinion, and then there is the way you state that opinion: hateful and disrespectful. I have not read anything hateful or disrespectful about the character of Kit based on the nature of who she is a basic level. Do you have a reference for this?

I also have not read anything about a blanket amnesty for the transgender population on any issue. As to why people keep taking up for the character of Max- For every action, there is bound to be a reaction.

I couldn't agree with you more. I also think and said as much that this story line is an insult to trans gender people, no argument from me here. This show is also an insult to lesbians, bi's and even hetro's. It sorta insults the entire human race anyone who hasn't gotten that is not paying attention. Lets be honest we are all being exploited.

We could argue about what degrees etc, etc but; why bother.

I do agree - "The callous regard for the life and health of Max’s unborn child rests solely with the creators of the show", but I also take issue with using jenny as the conduit to show that anyone who doesn't refer to, think of or address Max as "he", is somehow wrong and an awful person.(I get that their setting up someone else to want to kill - Jenny -- Max. ) While cramming their views down the viewers throats.

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Trans gender’s get do anything they want anytime they want with no ramifications, responsibility or guilt. Hey say your trans and you get to dictate to the entire population how THEY feel about the order of nature, well just because
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My point here is there are people who get up one day decide that their trans gender and expect everyone to just start treating them like the opposite sex. Addressing them as "he", "sir", mr" etc and get pretty nasty if anyone balks.

I've seen this with my own eyes. Yes! I'm one of the people that balks. If your actively doing something to transition - then ok I believe you. Yes I do understand that many trans gender people just don't have the fucking money and are stuck in limbo. But; there are some that never do anything and still expect others to adjust make a 180 on the fly just because.

Then we get right back where we started, (IMHO) if you have 2 breast, 2 ovaries and a vagina - you are not a man. You may want to be a man, you can dress like a man, you can dream of being a man, you can pretend to be a man, but; your not a man. So if you insist that I address you as a man you are insisting that I change my perspective of how nature and the universe operates. At this point in time nature, science and the universe have not chosen to allow homo sapien men to have a womb.

So IMHO you can consider yourself a trans gender man, but; if you have a child growing in your womb - you are not a man. That's just my opinion. It's just an opinion.

If others are willing or not willing to make that adjustment is their choice.

To me just the same as accepting gays' or gay marriage or any other controversial subject is the individuals choice.

BT, you say:
"Trans gender’s get do anything they want anytime they want with no ramifications, responsibility or guilt. Hey say your trans and you get to dictate to the entire population how THEY feel about the order of nature, well just because."

It's very unclear to me if this statement is about real world transgenders or the transgendered as represented by Max in the show. In fact, it's not unclear to me: reading that statement sounds like a generalized slam on the transgendered, and I would bet most people would read it this way. Just sayin...

BTW, I regard all the characters as just that--characters-- whether it's Max, Jenny, Bette, whoever. Because the writing has so devolved I'm acutely aware of the puppet masters behind the screen pulling the strings. And I'm greatly concerned that a lesbian creative team is cashing in by sensationalizing a very complex issue at the expense of a realistic portrayal of trans issues. And because Max is the ONLY transgendered person currently featured that character takes on greater significance than the character of Jenny, for instance. Ilene has turned Jenny into a caricature, but that doesn't reflect poorly on the entire lesbian population because we still have Bette, Tina Shane, Alice etc. to offset her ridiculousness.

The callous regard for the life and health of Max's unborn child rests solely with the creators of the show, who are lesbian, and it is they who must be critiqued, not the trans community who are simply being used in a cheap publicity stunt.

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I’m going to jump right past the socially inappropriate, disrespectful opening of which you are obviously aware of and not going to change based on what anyone here might have to say.
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Please give it a rest, I don't know what it takes to get you to get that you are not going coerce me into doing anything YOUR WAY. So fuck let it Goooooooooo!!! christ!!

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pervasiveness of attitudes like your own
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I have no idea what this means. I have an opinion who else shares it I don't know or care.

I am in complete agreement with the rest of your post. That doesn't change the fact that Max and Tom are both adults, that Max IS seeing a doctor and Max has friends, not very good ones but all that has been presented is poor MAX- I just don't see it that way.. I do get Max's plight, geeze there is nothing here that is easy.

I have one small point of disagreement and that is - a pregnant man, "no such thing". If your a man trans or otherwise you don't have a womb and you can't get pregnant and then there is no issue. You can't write on the blackboard I'm changing nature's rules at my whim and you have to agree. That's my point and no one is getting it. That's ok at least we're talking..

yes we are talking about a fictional character, no one seems to get their panties in a wad when Jenny gets mocked, or some of the hateful disrespectful crap about Kits character or just about every other character on this show. Because Max is trans gender, no mocking allowed. Sorry your rules not mine. This IS a fictional character, everybody gets to have at it if it's their opinion. Hey that's my opinion. You can't pick and choose who gets blasted and who doesn't.

Yes the writing sucks this story is so absurd that it could happen just because it's that nuts. BUT: it clearly points out how one sided the concern is and where it is focused - MAX. In my opinion that's fucked up.

Trans gender's get do anything they want anytime they want with no ramifications, responsibility or guilt. Hey say your trans and you get to dictate to the entire population how THEY feel about the order of nature, well just because. The fact that you've poisoned this child for 4 months(have expressed no concern about that), you didn't protect yourself and oh yeah, your life partner has flown the coupe and you have no income. But; hey Jenny is the villain here, Pleaseeee...

I'm sorry but I have a different opinion. On both sides and even in the middle it's opinion. There is no right or wrong here. No one seems to get that.

I put a very high value on children and have been appalled at the lack of concern from all the thought police concerning this child, the only thing that matters is Max. Again your rules not mine.

And yes we don't know what's gone on off camera. I have to believe what they put on camera is their slant on what's important. In my opinion that's fucked up.

Um...we're talking about a CHARACTER here, right? A fictional character--not a living, breathing person. Since we've all pretty much agreed the writing for Max SUCKS, I have a hard time jumping up and down about how lame his choices and actions are. The target of my ire is Chaiken and Company who have chosen to make this character selfish, whiny and virtually unwatchable. As Taem points out, this is doing a huge public disservice to the transgendered community and we as viewers have a duty to push back and let the creators of the show know how appalled we are. Mocking Max completely misses the mark, imho.

The writing just plain sucks! No doubt. If they were going to do this, why bother with season 6 at all? It is so sad to see these great ladies spewing drivel week after week. Maybe we should be glad it will be a short season.

I'm going to jump right past the socially inappropriate, disrespectful opening of which you are obviously aware of and not going to change based on what anyone here might have to say. Let's just get to the real issues.

Yes, if Max is going to have this baby, and it seems he is, then he needs to adjust the physical factors to make the most hospitable environment for development. We have not been given much specific info with the cram everything in short season, so we don't actually know that he hasn't started to do this.

I actually interpreted, "I hate these hormones" as a sign that he had dropped the T, whether entirely, which I'm not sure one can safely do suddenly, or gradually. I figured he might even be receiving injections to jump start things in the opposite direction to create a hospitable womb. I would think that would reek the emotional havoc we saw in the last poorly written and played episode.

That being said, here is another point to consider. People in the transgender community often do not get sound, informed medical advice or care. The medical community is grossly uninformed on transgender issues. I know a transman who had a breast lump, which fortunately turned out just to be a cyst. He sought medical assistance as soon as he found it in a self exam, which he does regularly even though he would ditch the breasts and all of the internal plumbing in a heartbeat if he could afford it. Coming out of the initial exam he encountered a nurse imitating him in the hallway. The Dr. who examined him could not tell him whether it was medically advisable to cease or scale back his T injections until the biopsy was done and the results were in.

Admittedly, this is a different issue. But it does give us a glimpse of the pervasiveness of attitudes like your own, and how even within the medical community they put trangender individuals at risk. How can we criticize an individual with no medical background for not immediately perceiving what he needs to do, when a large part of the medical community either does not know themselves. or is not invested in promoting the health of that individual?

Again, I think the rubbish script leaves much doubt as to what the hell Max is actually doing. The only thing we can say for sure about the character is that the way this show has represented the transgender community is a woefully missed opportunity to educate and instigate useful social discussion.

Unless she wanted a child way beforehand, any woman who realizes she got pregnant accidentally will be upset. Coping isn't easy. In fact, it IS extremely difficult, or there won't be abandoned children in this world. For some pregnant women, it can be much worse than PMS with all the hormones out of wack. You can't just ask Max to "adult up".

Look, Max has no support other than Tom, who left. No family members around and... the gang isn't particularly helpful either. For many single mothers, what do they do? They go back home and look for their parents / siblings etc. In real life, I think a gang of friends will also be more supportive (in the show, they're literally ignoring Max's predicament here, other than making snide remarks).

Oh well, but the pregnant Max storyline is just a "PSA" without development or properly blending into the main plot.

This is probably a silly question, but do they actually have landing gear, as in something to keep them in place when you park, aside from the breaks and little block that I've seen shoved under the wheel? I'm guessing this is not meant literally, but don't know a lot about big rigs.

I can think of better things for you to be droppin' than a trailer. Fer sure!

Weird is good! When she was doing a mini documentary on LGBT homeless youth she shared some childhood pics with one of the girls: definitely on the bony geek side then, so I'm guessing she has the metabolism of a bird.

Well here goes. First get out your soap boxes, polish up your righteous indignation your gonna need them. Set up an organized pile on this time because I have something to say and I'm gonna say it.

I was appalled this week with the entire Max "story", first if these people are friends I hope to hell I never have a friend.

I've said this before I'll say it again. If you have 2 breast, 2 ovaries and a womb with a child growing in it - sorry that this isn't how you want it but; your a women. This is one time crazy Jenny had it almost right(IMHO)

I'm a little more then irritated with Max's whinny, pathetic, behavior. You are carrying a child, bringing another life into this fucked up, scary world, it's not even a little bit about YOU anymore.

If there is an adult in the room PLEASE stand up and help this woman, no wait. You are absolutely right this is not a woman, this is a girl, who needs to grow up. Alleged friends please pull Max aside and help her. Max is young, never had dreams of being a mother is clueless and is in a place no one should be in alone. In my fucked up simple mind that's why we have friends and people we look up to.

Who is going to take care of this child? Alice has no job therefore Max has no job!! OC in the sky with all of Max's other dreams is gone at this point in time. Max was/is taking steroids literally poising this child and not a word anywhere from anyone - WTF!!

No questions to the doctor of the possible ramifications of this on the child now and through it's entire life, no attempt at cleansing or whatever might help. Nope all Max wants to do is whine about Jenny not calling her - he. Give me a fucking break. Oh I hate these these hips, these tits wah, wah.

Again is there an adult in the room. This is not a forever "thing", but for now this baby deserves a chance. Max has to take responsibility, do something positive. Take parenting classes, set up adoption, talk to someone who can help you think and plan. Transition is not the most important thing, being called he is incidental, at this moment in time - get over it(I know, I know I'm not sensitive) that baby matters more then Max's comfort right now.. When the baby is born and it's health, care and nurturing are taken care of and Max is through post baby whatever, Max can start and or continue the process again. All is not lost, there is tomorrow.

Max's gets a do over - how often does that happen.

I don't have a problem with trans gender or any other gender. I do have a problem with selfish, self centered, childish people who don't take responsibility for their actions and then expect everyone else to jump up and live by their rules.

I'm sorry and yes I may be wrong but; but this is how I feel, in this world in this life you don't get to put what you want above everything else all the time. You don't get to take what 99.99999 per cent of the population of this world consider the natural order of things change them to suit yourself and then just cram it down everyone else's throat because it's what makes you comfortable. You bet I have a large problem with that.

You want to transition, ok. First do the right thing whatever that is by this child then do whatever you need to. You just don't get it your way right now. Again I'll get the big pile - go for it. There is no such thing as a pregnant man. Screaming at me and calling me names just does't make it so...

Maybe some day science will make that happen; why?? I have no idea. 6 billion people seems to be enough to me but; hey what do I know.